Chief Justice Vetting Updates: A Court for Each District

Nominee for Chief Justice, Justice Sophia Akuffo has pledged to ensure a court is cited in each of the 216 districts in the country to improve justice delivery.

She made the pledge after National Democratic Congress MP Sampson Ahi drew her attention to the absence of a court in his constituency Bodi in the Western region.

The Supreme Court judge who is being vetted by the Appointments Committee of Parliament found this situation unusual.

“Every district is supposed to have a court” she indicated and told the MPs, “we will go through the necessary steps to make sure that indeed every district is adequately served with a district court”.

The Supreme Court judge said the setting up of courts in each district is even more important because of the President’s industrialisation policy termed ‘one district, one factory’.

Sophia Akuffo said the industrialization will generate greater human interaction and commercial activity in the districts which is likely to trigger litigation.

She said the Judicial Service will take up the matter of citing courts in districts where they do not exist.

Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo@ vetting

Photo: Supreme Court judges also attended the vetting of their incoming boss

The District Court makes up the largest number of courts in the country and statistically handles the largest number of cases.

Civil jurisdictions of this Court include all personal actions arising under contract or tort for recovery of any liquidated sum where the amount claimed does not exceed GH¢ 5000.00, the Judicial Service’s website says.

In criminal matters, the Court has jurisdiction to try summarily offences punishable by a fine not exceeding Five Hundred (500) penalty units or imprisonment for a term not exceeding (2) years or both.